TOKYO -- Public support for the cabinet of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi stands at 48%, an increase of 3 percentage points over the previous poll in February, as it benefited from a string of missteps by the largest opposition party, Democratic Party of Japan, according to a survey by Nihon Keizai Shimbun Inc.

The cabinet's disapproval rating fell 3 points to 40%, with the gap between approval and disapproval ratings widening from...